Free Bobbi Smith by Halfbreed Warrior Page A

the social that we’d help them box up the dinners for tonight’s auction. I love it when the bidding starts. It’s always so exciting to see who buys the dinners.”
    “And this is a payday weekend for the ranch hands. The social should bring in a lot of money.”
    They laughed, remembering how heated the bidding could get sometimes. Pat was smiling as she got her bag out of the buckboard and followed Jeannie inside.
    It was midday when Jack and Randi reached San Miguel. Jack had driven them into town in their carriage with Angel tied to the back. While Jack went to see about checking them into the hotel, Randi drove over to the livery to leave the horse and carriage and to take care of Angel. She wanted to get her settled in.
    Tomorrow was her big day. Randi could hardly wait.
    She was excited, too, about seeing her friend Sherri Sadowski. It had been more than a month since their last visit, and that had been just a quick conversation after church services one Sunday morning. This weekend they would have plenty of time to catch up on all the latest news and gossip.
    After making sure Angel was fine, she started back to the hotel. On the way, Randi stopped by Sherri’s father’s general store to see if her friend was there working.
    “You’re here!” Randi said in delight when she found her friend behind the counter.
    “Where else would I be?” Sherri teased. “I’m glad you got here early.” She looked quickly around, noticed there were a few customers in the store, and then added in a quiet voice, “There’s so much I have to tell you!”
    “What do you have to tell me?” Randi was surprised and intrigued by Sherri’s tone.
    “I can’t talk about it now. I’ll tell you later. Do you want to meet and go to the social together tonight?”
    “Yes, why don’t you come by the hotel and get me when you’re on your way?”
    “Fine. The social starts at six o’clock, so let’s meet in the lobby about quarter ’til.”
    “That’s perfect. I can’t wait to see everyone.”
    “Me too,” Sherri agreed.
    Randi was curious. She didn’t know what had her friend so excited, but she knew she’d be finding out soon. “How dressed up are you getting for tonight?”
    “Very!” Sherri had her reasons, but she couldn’t tell Randi about them yet.
    “I guess I’d better go back to the hotel and start getting ready.”
    “That’s right. We want to give the boys their money’s worth.”
    The social followed the same format every year. The ladies in town prepared box dinners for the occasion, and each single girl at the social was assigned one of the dinners. When each dinner was auctioned off, the girl had to dine with the one who’d bought it. The funds all went to the church.
    The auction was always fun, although there had been a few times when some of the cowboys had gotten good and drunk and made a spectacle of themselves bidding on a certain girl. It had happened to Randi once. Her father had had to step in and outbid everyone to save her from the humiliation of dining with a drunk.
    Randi wondered if Hawk would show up tonight—and if he did show up, she wondered if he would bid on her. Deep in her heart, she hoped he would.
    “That’s right. We have to look good so all the men will bid on us,” Sherri said. “I’m just glad I go before you, so they’ll still have money left to bid on me!”
    “I’ll see you in a little while. I have some serious dressing up to do.”
    “Do you think we’ll recognize each other tonight after we get all gussied up?”
    “Of course,” Randi answered. “We’re always lovely. We’re just going to be even lovelier than usual tonight.”
    “I like the way you think!”
    Her mood was light as Randi left the store to return to the hotel. She’d brought a pretty gown with her, and she wanted to make sure she looked her best. She had just enough time to get ready for the evening to come.
    Jack was meeting with Wade and Hawk up in his hotel room.
    “Just